


Don’t Panic

by Ghostsucks



Category: Ghost (Sweden Band)
Genre: Fluff, Rats, escaped rats, video calls
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-21
Updated: 2020-10-21
Packaged: 2021-03-09 03:53:56
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,273
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27127492
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ghostsucks/pseuds/Ghostsucks
Summary: Copia has asked you to look after his rats while he was on tour, leaving the cage opened too long you allowed them to escape.
Relationships: Cardinal Copia/Reader
Comments: 3
Kudos: 22





	Don’t Panic

**Author's Note:**

> Straight up i used Google Translate for the Italian in this fic, please if you know Italian and see any issues please message me on tumblr at Popiaswhitesuit so i can fix it

“What are you doing? Why are you doing that?” You looked at the white rat currently hanging from its cage’s top “Copia never explained this. This isn’t in his notes.” You watched the rat makes it way from one of the cage, towards you. Swinging and dangling in a way that made your heart skip a beat every time it let go. 

With brief moments of panic, you opened the cage door. The rat taking its chance and jumping out, scurrying along the top of Copia’s dresser and onto his bed. With wide eyes of panic you tried to catch the rat, hoping to grab it and place it back into the cage; but in a brief lapse of judgment you left the cage open. Turning around in time to see Copia’s other brown and white rat dawdling out. 

“No!” You shouted, unintentionally scaring the rats “ugh!” You shouted again in frustration. 

You tried to keep your eyes on them as best as you could to keep track of them, but the second you turned away to find anything to assist you–they vanished. Twisting and turning your body, you scanned where they last were on his bed to no avail. 

“Their treats” you thought to yourself. 

Going into the box that Copia had left for you, with everything in there that you needed to look after the rats while he was on tour; he made sure to also have a ghoul do the shopping for you so you wouldn’t have to go out and choose the treats, or bedding, or anything that they needed. Knowing rats were as new to you as this relationship was to the both of you. 

Copia would be gone for a few months, and at this point he’d only been gone for a week and you had already lost his precious pets. You did your best trying to talk yourself down from a panic attack. Using all the adrenaline running through your veins as help to get the escapees back into their home. 

“Here ratties” you shook their bag of treats. Sauntering around the room, hoping their little heads would pop out from where ever hole they were hiding in “mummy’s got some treats for you tsktsktsk” you tried to persuade them. Instead, you just made yourself visibly cringe at calling yourself “mummy” 

“Please, come out” you shook the bag more aggressively, eventually giving up and plopping your ass onto the floor in a huff. 

Not knowing what you were going to do, you started googling how to capture escaped pet rats. Most of the tips telling you to get a humane trap, or tear the room apart looking for them; which was something you didn’t have the strength or energy to do. Scared that if you left this room either the rats would sneak out with you, or you would see someone and in turn they would tell Copia. 

Your anxiety imagine the fury of Copia as he screamed at you for losing his rats; leaning over you, face red, veins popping out of his neck as spit hit you in the face. An anger you wouldn’t think Copia could be capable of, but if there was anything to show you his true rage; it would surely be the person who lost his rats. 

Fear pulling you off of the floor, you crawled on all fours. Looking under his drawers, his bed, moving everything slightly, hoping a rat will get scared and jump out… and nothing. Not a single peep. Being low to the floor, your eyes gravitated towards the gap at the bottom of the bedroom door.

“Oh, no” you quickly grabbed your phone, searching for the information you required: what’s the smallest gap a rat can squeeze through. With the answer at your fingertips, you searched Copia’s space. Searching for anything to help you measure the gap. Thankfully, in his bathroom drawer you could find a measuring tape and rushing back towards the front door. 

“Oh, thank god” you sighed in relief as fact the door wasn’t wide enough for the rats to fit, meant that they were definitely in the room; you measured the gap 3 more times just to be safe. 

You started to over think. Thinking about how the rats could have made it to the gardens by now. What if they were chased by a ghoul and eaten as a snack? What if a hawk seen them and scooped them up to feed to their chicks? What if you find them on the side of the road as flat as pancakes? You panicked more. 

The more your thoughts ran, the more your heart sped. Your hands shaking uncontrollably, you needed to sit down. Think about how the gap to the outside was too small. Tell yourself over and over that there was no way they weren’t in the room with you; they were just champions at hide and seek. 

Sitting on the hard wooden floor for an unknown amount of time, you tried to be quiet and still. Thinking that maybe if the rats thought you were gone that they would come out. Your plan foiled when your phone started vibrating harshly next to you. 

An unflattering photo of Copia’s face that you took of him sleep in bed one day lit up your phone “FaceTime from Copia” at the top of it. 

“Oh, no” you had forgotten about your planned talk with Copia. You had been so concerned with finding the rats you had completely forgotten to check the time and completely forgotten about this thing that you had been looking forward to since you made the plans 3 days ago. 

Taking a deep breath, you angled the phone so he could have a straight view of your face, putting on your best smile you answered. 

“Copia!” Your smile immediately turning to a genuine one as his face appeared on the small screen in real time “how was the show?” Noting that he was already on the bus to a different venue. You could faintly hear the sound of the wind blowing by the bus, and the usual arguing ghouls. 

“It was good, topolino. I think the Americans are taking a liking to us. They were so hungry for more they wouldn’t let us leave the stage!” He laughed, “It was amazing. I wish you were here to witness it yourself,” he tried to seem happy, but you could see the longing to be home already written on his face. 

“I will have to look up videos on YouTube later.” You softly smiled at him “You look tired” 

“I am. They don’t really explain to you the physical toll of tours. If I’m not on stage or eating, I’m usually sleeping,” he yawned “jet lag also doesn’t help” he smiled softly. Leaning his head back against the window next to him. “How are things back at the church?” He asked you in return, his eyes drooping as he got more comfortable in his spot. 

“Good. Emeritus the Third is still going on about how it should be him on tour, but other than that everything’s just as you left it.” 

“And you? How are you?” His eyebrows rose and eyes widened as he tried to stay awake long enough to get through this call. 

“I’m good. With so many ghouls gone, It’s been quiet, mostly. I miss you, though. That’s probably the worst part about my day,” you tried not to get choked up at your admission. 

“I miss you, too. So much. Next tour I will bring you, I promise” there was an air of sadness around you both. Since you first got together you had spent so much time around one another that now you were apart it felt unnatural. “How are the rats?” He asked after a few moments of silence and you froze. 

“Ah, they’re good” you were glad he couldn’t sense the panic in your voice just yet “they have been eating what I give them, eating their treats and being just normal rats” you informed him, waiting for the dreaded sentence you knew that was coming. 

“Can I see them? The photos you send me are nice, but I wish to speak to them. Let them know I miss them” 

You looked over to the cage, your brain running miles a minute trying to figure out what to say next. Giving yourself some extra time to think by getting up and walking towards the cage. 

“They’re asleep in their little house still” you turned the camera around to show him the cage.

“Hm, that’s weird. They should be awake by now” 

You couldn’t stop yourself. The next noise to come from you was a sob, and you prayed Copia couldn’t understand the noise you made as in involuntarily broke from you. 

“Topolino? Are you okay?” You turned the camera around to face you, the beginning of the tears rolling down your cheeks. “Amore, what’s wrong?” He was awake and alert now. His entire body leaching forward as his face twisted in concern. Pulling his own phone to his face to get a better look at you. 

“I lost them” you admitted. The tears streaming out more as you waited for him to hang up. 

“Lost who?” 

“The rats! I was trying to feed them and then they got out and now I cant find them and Copia I’m so sorry” you spoke so fast you were uncertain if he could even understand you. Everything coming out of your mouth in one breath like word vomit. Your crying coming to a halt as Copia’s laugh started to echo through the speaker.

“Tesoro, calm down. I let them out all the time. The room is rat friendly.” He explained to you as you went from an absolute mess to confused in a heartbeat.

“Wh- what?”

He laughed at your confusion “where did you last see them?” 

“On your bed” 

“Have you looked under the pillows? Or the blanket towards the end of the bed?” The corner of his lips turned upward. 

“No” you made your way over to the bed. Flipping the blanket over on the bottom end of the bed and seeing nothing. You could see Copia on your screen, his smile evident in your peripheral as you searched for his rats. 

With a body riddled with nerves, you lifted your pillow up, nothing. Starting to feel like maybe the rats weren’t under here at all like Copia expected; but the fact he wasn’t yelling at you or breaking up with you was a relief of its self. Walking over to his side of the bed, you moved his pillows out of the way. Feeling like you had just gotten hit with a shovel when two tiny faces turned to look at you. Their eyes squinting as you disturbed them of their sleep.

“Are they there?” Copia’s voice snapped you back to reality. 

“Yes” relief finally sweeping over you. Your shoulders dropping drastically as they let out tension you didn’t know you were holding. 

“May I see them?” You turned your phone to face the rats. Angling it so that the screen was facing them so they could see Copia “hello sweet babies” he cooed “hai causato al mio amore uno stress non necessario” he spoke at them in Italian. His words lost to you, but clearly not to the rats as they squeaked seemingly in reply to him, “si, si. Apologise, per favore” 

Both rats turned to you. Their small squeaks now directed at you as their noses were pointed into the air. Their noses twitching as they waited for something. 

“They said they are sorry and then asked for treats,” Copia spoke and giggled at his rats confidence. 

“You can understand them?” You asked, turning the screen back to you in time to watch Copia’s smile grow wider. 

“No, they just know my voice and I know how to read their body language” 

“Looked to me like you were having a conversation” 

“A man never reveals his secrets, topolino. They will make their way into their cage when they are ready. If you are nervous about leaving them alone, you are always more than welcome to sleep in my bed.” 

“I think I will do that” you told Copia, waiting for one more voice of approval to spend the night in his bed, without it. 

“Good. Now, I’m sorry, Amore. I’m going to have to say goodnight. You look like you could use the sleep as much as I do, heh” he giggled, his voice melting your heart. 

“Okay, but Copia?”

“Mm? Do you think maybe you could just stay on until I fall asleep? I’m not ready to say goodbye yet” you admitted, the vulnerability new to you but Copia had previously asked you to be more open with him. 

“I would like that” he admitted in return. 

You placed your phone on Copia’s pillow. The sound of Copia getting ready for bed sounding from his end as you made your way around his room getting ready for bed as well. There was a considerable time difference between you and Copia, but with the adrenaline of playing a show and the harsh comedown of that a few hours later, and your need to go to bed earlier than most; it allowed you both the luxury of still being able to be awake during the same hours. 

Soft good nights were the only thing whispered between you and Copia once more. You weren’t sure who fell asleep first, but it was one of the best sleeps you have had since he left. 

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on tumblr at Popiaswhitesuit


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